Change of Heart
by Werewolf Luver246
Summary: What if things had ended differently? What if Rafe turned into a good guy? What if Aiden wanted Vivian back?
1. Turning Point

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fic for Blood and Chocolate! I loved the book, and I really wanted to give this a shot. People find this totally insane, but I really like Rafe in the book. I was really devastated when he died. Weird I know. **

**Disclaimer : I do not own Blood and Chocolate. I used a little excerpt from the book, but that's only so this would make sense. The bold italicized parts are what I used from the book, the other italics are my ideas. **

**Chapter 1 - Turning Point**

Vivian felt as if she could do nothing but just lie on her back, and stare at her ceiling. She noticed a few cracks in the foundation that she could have sworn were not there before. She sighed as she noticed this, and suddenly began comparing this to her own life. Before, everything wasn't as hectic- definitely not easy- but not near as complicated. She felt as if her life was slowly breaking into pieces, and would eventually crush her under the weight of it all.

She could remember the entire scene, still fresh in her subconscious. It was strange that it had shocked her so much. Eventually, she knew that one of the pack would go overboard, but she had never expected that Astrid and Rafe woulf _both_ be the ones to do it. They seemed very..solitary in their attempts to slowly hinder the pack to its knees. Then again, they were never truly alone, Rafe had always had the Five, and Astrid always had the power to take advantage of whomever was foolish enough to fall for her tricks. What shocked her the most was what finally brought everything full circle. She could still hear Astrid's wicked cackle in her ears, which sent tremors down her spine even now.

_Flashback----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

" _**Why did you really set me up, Astrid?" she had asked.**_

" _**Because I hate you," Astrid spat. " And I think I'll kill you too. Oh, dear," she continued in a singsong voice. " We came upon her slaughtering the boy and had to stop her. She must have been on the rogue."**_

Vivian remembered how she was silently chuckling to herself the whole time.

" _**And how will you explain the deaths that keep happening after I'm gone? You don't think she's going to stop, do you Rafe? She's crazy. Can't you see that?"**_

" _**Hey, come on," Rafe said, starting to look worried. " It's a joke, right?"**_

" _**You're such a tool Rafe."**_

She sighed, remembering the words that came out of her mouth. She thought about the way his face had suddenly turned to stone, his eyes becoming hardset, and penetrating. But it wasn't out of hatred for her, but confusion. His eyes and expression became even more intense as Astrid continued with her rant. Astrid had clearly, and verbally expressed how much she had loved Gabriel, and Vivian had seen it tear Rafe apart. When he turned to face Astrid, she honestly had no idea what he was going to do

" _**I could have had him if it wasn't for her," Astrid glared.**_

" _**But he didn't want you," Rafe said, hurt and rage in his voice. **_

" _**I would have changed his mind," Astrid answered, turning on Rafe.**_

" _**But you've got me now. Why should it matter?" Rafe cried. **_

" _It matters that my chance was stolen from me! I could've brought this pack out of its dark ages , and to its true potential!" Astrid explained._

_Rafe's face grew more agonized, " You don't need Gabriel to do that!"_

_Vivian couldn't believe her luck. Maybe, if this kept up, she could keep them distracted long enough to tell Aiden to run. Realizing that he was still standing beside her, she glanced at Aiden. The gun he held was still barely clinging to his shaking fingertips. His eyes were wide with fear, yet were completely alert, all the same. She couldn't blame the human for being weak at the knees. She heard Rafe's voice raising more in tone, as he became more frustrated, and was denying everything he knew to be true. _

" _We don't need the pack to teach the humans a lesson! They're useless!" _

" _If the others aren't with us, then they're against us," Astrid explained. " We must be united in order to take back our place in dominance. Also, if something goes wrong, then we'll have an alibi."_

_Rafe backed up, " Whoa! Now we're talki'n world domination? We can't do that! It's too risky."_

" _Yes..but necessary."_

_Rafe blinked and briefly stared at the ground, " You did use me."_

" _Oh, come now Rafie," Astrid cooed, " It's only because you're the only sensible one around here. I mean, why couldn't you compete in the Ordeal? You'd be our best choice for leader. You supersede all of those other useless.."_

" _C'mon Rafe!" Vivian said. " You're not honestly gonna fall for that shit, are you?"_

_Rafe looked at Vivian with a pained expression, and winced at her words. Vivian had never seen him like this before, so shaken. Rafe had a heart after all. _

" _Just look at her," Astrid flexed a finger towards Vivian. " She's just trying to turn you against me. She's turned everyone against me._

_Vivian snorted, " Yeah, right. You did that on your own."_

" _Kill her Rafe, put an end to the treachery. Silence the one who has put us all through so much misery, let death be the traitor's punishment."_

_Rafe stared from Vivian, to Aiden, back to Vivian. Then he peered at Astrid, and it seemed as if he was sifting through her words in his mind. _

" _Alright," he shrugged, a smug grin emerging on his face. He crouched and looked Vivian straight in the eyes. _

_Vivian prepared herself for the change. She knew she could put up a fair fight against Rafe, but she wasn't sure how long it would be before Astrid decided to finish her off herself. Vivian also crouched, and looked intently at her apponent. She didn't dare to look at Aiden, knowing that he had a gun in his hands, and obviously got frightened easily. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and the cool breeze pricked her bare throat. Rafe growled and lunged, but only…he wasn't going for Vivian. _

_She stood up in astonishment, and she had a very hard time believing her eyes. Rafe had tackled Astrid in mid- air, catching her off guard. She redeemed herself within seconds, and phased without a second thought. Vivian could barely blink as she watched the two of them go at each other. Astrid, tackled Rafe by grabbing his leg with her teeth, but he went straight for her throat. Astrid yelped, and slammed him to the ground, temporarily knocking the wind out of him. Aiden's trembling grew more audible from behind Vivian._

" _S…should we do something?" he asked._

_Vivian tried to shake her head, but was in a state of shock that had paralyzed her completely. Merely seconds later, a victorious howl ripped through the air. Astrid laydead at Rafe's feet. He'd torn open her stomach. Aiden quickly looked the other way. Rafe looked up at them, his expression hard to read. Slowly, he began to gradually change back to human form. He just stared down at Astrid. So quietly, almost too quiet for anyone to hear, Vivian swore she heard him whisper:_

" _Death shall be the traitor's punishment."_

**A/N: At the risk of making this chapter too long, I think I'll stop here. What do you think? Yes, I am making more chapters after this. You don't think I could stop here, do you?**

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE COOKIES!!!!!!!! **


	2. In Deep Shit

A/N: Sorry for the slow update, I have a problem with that. I'm writing like…six stories at once right now, which was probably a bad idea, but I never listen when I try to talk myself out of things. This chapter is going to be a little different, because it tells it from a different perspective. Still in third person, just talking about someone else!

Disclaimer: Must we go through this ever time? It's not mine!!

Chapter 2 - In Deep Shit

Rafe knew he was dead meat. That was why he waited outside when Gabriel came to talk to his father. Lucien wouldn't be happy, even though he was in on the whole thing. He'd be mad at him just for getting caught, and messing everything up! Rafe sat on the porch steps, trying to block out the shouting coming from inside his house. Gabriel was just as unhappy. Rafe had killed without justification from the rest of the pack, and now he knew he was going to pay for it. _Crazy bitch deserved it_ ,he thought about Astrid, _They were gonna kill her anyway. They're just mad that I did it myself._ Still, Rafe found himself having a small touch of regret. Not only had he killed one of his own, but it was his best friend's mother! When the rest of The Five heard what he did, they went straight to shunning him. Ulf would never give him the chance to explain. He came too close to exposing the pack, and he killed humans. _Stupid hypocrites. If it were just us they would've went along with it._

More shouting came from inside. His father's voice raised above Gabriel's, practically shaking the whole house. _He's just trying to cover his own ass, _Rafe shook his head. He knew Lucien would never defend him. Heck, he'd throw him into a shark tank for a case of beer! The only reason he kept him around was so he'd have someone to beat on. Rafe had been raised that way from day one. Do something wrong, and get a whip across the face for it. He remembered back to the time of The Ordeal. He wanted so badly to fight with the rest of the males. Not really because he wanted to be leader, just to show that he could snap some heads. Just an excuse to show his father what he _really _thought of him. But it really didn't turn out how he'd hoped, just how he had expected.

_**Flashback---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Sharp, silver light sketched the old man's wrinkled face into a craggy landscape as ancient as the moon itself. " This is the Law," he said in a voice that was the Law. " You will obey or die." **_

_**The males moved silently through the crowd toward the Five, encircling them. Ulf looked this way and that, his teeth bared in panic. The smirks left the faces of Gregory and Finn. **_

"_**Come on, Rafe," Gregory's voice pleaded. " Another time, okay?" **_

" _**Yeah," Willem joined in. " We'll get other chances."**_

_**There was silence for a minute.**_

" _**Fuck you," Rafe cursed in defeat.**_

_**The tight wall of males relaxed, and the Five slouched their way through the crowd.**__ Rafe heard the males whispering remarks to each other, each one providing him and the others no justice. He also heard what Orlando whispered to his father as he walked with the circle._

" _Lucien, you need to learn to control that boy of yours. That attitude is gonna get him into trouble with the wrong people someday."_

_Rafe looked away from Lucien's furious glare. Though, he was glad to be warned about what was coming for him later. He wouldn't do it here where it would cause a scene, but later, he would get drunk enough to not care about what he was doing. Rafe just took his place at the far end of the clearing with his friends, and watched, uninterested, as the other males went at each other. Rafe almost laughed when Gabriel tore through Lucien. It was priceless, and was a moment he'd be sure to remember. Although the humor of it was short-lived, because he knew then that Lucien was guaranteed to show Rafe the same amount of pain. _

_When the Ordeal was over and Gabriel had been announced the leader, no one was surprised by the outcome. Everyone else howled, or ran to their mates, but Lucien spat on the ground in rage. Suddenly, there was a commotion, coming from a group of females. He could barley make out Esme and Astrid, mauling away at each other. Then, Vivian showed up somewhere in the quarrel, and knocked her mother out of the way. In the end, she'd taught Astrid some manners, and the other females were basically bowing down to her. She had named herself queen bitch. Rafe and the Five laughed, knowing how well that would go with Vivian. But, a bit of jealousy towards Gabriel made itself clear. _Bastard, Rafe thought, does he have to get everything?_ Then, Vivian ran from the scene, and Gabriel followed. Everyone else just stared at one another, bemused. _Um..not that surprising. Don't you know she prefers meat boys? Rafe felt like asking, but was too afraid too. _He could see his father looking at him, and knew he was wishing everyone else away, so he could beat him down without an audience. Renata helped Esme gather her strength, and Astrid was howling dramatically. Trying to be the center of attention once again. One by one, everyone began to clear out. A few people ran in the direction of Vivian and Gabriel, trying to get a good view of the show. Lucien stayed put, his hard glare glued to Rafe. His friends noticed, and stammered their goodbyes. Rafe didn't move either, knowing that if he held his position, it would better conceal his fear._ Show no fear, be a man, that's what Lucien had always told him. You'll get no where in this world by being soft. _That's what Rafe tried to be, a hard stone like his father's face. Once the last pack member was out of sight, Lucien stomped angrily over to Rafe, and fumed._

" _Who in the hell do you think you are?! Where do you get off saying things like that?"_

_Lucien raised his hand, and punched his son in the face. The force of the blow knocked Rafe to the ground, but he didn't let the pain show. He just kept his head down, and didn't dare look his father in the eye, it would only make things worse._

_Lucien kicked him in the stomach, " You're an embarrassment! You're a disgrace to me, and the rest of this pack! That's all you've ever been, and it's all you'll ever be!! From now on, just keep your mouth shut, understand?!"_

_Rafe nodded, knowing his father appreciated his silence. _

" _Good. The next time I hear about you mouthi'n off kid, I swear I'll kill you! I ain't afraid to do it neither!"_

_Lucien turned his back, and began hobbling away, probably on his way to Tooley's for a few drinks. Rafe stayed on the ground, finding it hard to get up. He could feel fresh blood trickling down his nose, and a few shattered ribs closing in on his lungs. He'd heal soon enough. He shifted his weight to his knees, and tried standing up. He wiped the blood from his face, and cringed at the unexpected pain. He knew he'd gotten off easy. But next time,, his father would kill him. And Rafe knew he was capable of doing it._

**A/N: Wow. That was probably the most violent and dramatic thing I've written. I think that might explain why Rafe is how he is. **

**REVIEW PEOPLE! Seriously, HOW CAN ANYBODY HATE COOKIES?!**


	3. Punishment

**A/N: Hello lovely readers of fan fiction! I am proud to announce that I have not fallen off the face of the earth and died and I am back! Now..where was I? **

**Disclaimer: Blood and Chocolate is not mine ( obviously)**

Chapter 3 - Punishment

Rafe had never been so afraid. _After all the shit that's happened in my life it comes down to this?_ He thought, terror constricting him inside.

Gabriel was silent, his face remaining a brick wall. It made Rafe feel all the more anxious. He walked with his head bowed, not daring to look up. He knew he looked like a coward, but it really didn't matter. There was no point in acting tough anymore. It was evident that Gabriel could snap him like a twig. Acting tough would only make him a bigger fool.

Rafe knew he was going to die. As soon as he killed Astrid, he could sense that his time was coming. After the argument between Gabriel and Lucien, Gabriel came out of the house to speak to Rafe

_Flashback- _

_Rafe heard the door slam behind him. Quiet, but menacing footsteps approached him. His throat closed, his heartbeat suddenly spastic. He quickly jumped to his feet and turned. It was a relief to see Gabriel standing behind him. Even though Gabriel was terrifying, Rafe had been more afraid to turn around and see his father behind him holding a shotgun. _

" _We need to have a chat," Gabriel spoke through clenched teeth. " Be at the woods tomorrow. Sunrise. Don't make me have to come after you." _

_Rafe quickly gulped and nodded. Gabriel shot him a stern, disbelieving look, then sauntered off. Normally Rafe would've put up a fight. He would've told Gabriel to go to hell, but not this time._

**- **_End Flashback_

Now Rafe walked slowly behind Gabriel, his hands in his pockets, hating himself. Although he feared death, he was accepting of it. It couldn't possibly be any worse than his life already was. He had nothing to lose. No one would even care if he was gone.

Gabriel came to a stop in the middle of ht e woods. Rafe skidded to a halt. His heart pounded in his chest. His mouth was running dry, hands shaking uncontrollably.

" You have betrayed your pack," Gabriel stated. " What you've done is grounds for death."

Rafe winced at the words, but he'd been expecting them. Gabriel stopped and examined his expression, obviously expecting him to retaliate. He didn't. Gabriel's silence irritated him. He just wanted to get it over with.

" …But I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to take responsibility for you," Gabriel finished.

Rafe's breathing stopped cold. He was shocked and confused.

" W….what?" he questioned lamely.

" What you did was wrong, but it wasn't entirely your fault. Astrid got what she deserved and so will you," Gabriel said.

Rafe blinked, " Wait….just so we're clear..you're _not_ going to kill me?"

Gabriel sighed, " No Rafael. I'm not."

" But why? I let Astrid get to me. I let the bitch trick me into killing innocent people, then frame Vivian for it! And then I killed Astrid! I deserve death," Rafe said.

" I'm not saying you won't be punished, but you don't deserve death. Death is too easy. You deserve a chance to live a good, long life. You're just a kid."

Rafe tried to make sense of these words, but he couldn't. Where was all this coming from? Axel had never gotten another chance. Why should he?

" You weren't always a smart ass, Rafe," Gabriel said. " You used to be a good kid. What happened?"

_Mom left us,_ Rafe sneered to himself. _That's what happened. And now dad's a bitter old drunk. _Rafe could remember those days too, back before all the complicated stuff. When he, Vivian, and The Five were just little kids. Those times were good. No worries. Then his mother met some douche-bag from another pack, and she abandoned him and his father. Since then, Rafe had changed. His father had changed. And here he was..

" I don't know," Rafe replied. " People change."

" Yes they do," Gabriel added. " That's why I've decided to have you come live at my place."

Rafe was even more confused, " Huh?"

" The situation you're in right now is not healthy, and I can't help but think it's part of what led up to this whole mess. I think it would be better for you to have a better example to live by. During our confrontation the other day, your father and I came to an understanding."

_Wow, dad really would do anything to erase the fact that I ever existed,_ Rafe thought.

" What if I don't want to?" he asked.

Gabriel shook his head, " Here's the thing…I'm not giving you a choice. Since his mother is no longer with us, Ulf is also staying with me. You two will be spending lots of time together."

Rafe was overtaken by dread. Ulf wasn't even speaking to him. He hated him. He killed his mother for crying out loud! Living with him would be a nightmare.

" No! Not Ulf! I…I can't do that! He hates me!" Rafe exasperated.

" Well, maybe this'll give you time to make amends," Gabriel said.

Rafe groaned, " This is insane."

"Yes," Gabriel slyly smiled. " I think this punishment will do nicely."

**A/N: Okay! That's it for now! REVIEW PEOPLE! **


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